Seven-seat feats from Mitsubishi Motors PH
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) is up to something big at this year’s Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS).
As we reported earlier this month, the Japanese carmaker, for the first time in its six-decade history, is hosting the world premiere of an all-new model – a concept seven-seat sport-utility vehicle (SUV) that will likely captivate Filipinos, who are particularly fond of traveling with family and friends.
In line with this, we listed seven successful seven-seater vehicles from the Diamond Star brand that have been sold (and will likely be sold) in the Philippines.
Pajero
One of the vehicles that made MMPC a household name was the legendary Pajero, which served as the brand’s flagship for decades.
When the five-door, long-wheelbase variant debuted globally in 1983, Mitsubishi finally had a tough off-roader that could haul the well-off off the beaten path. The Pajero also served as one of the first homes of the venerable 4D56 inline-4 diesel engine that appeared in many other Mitsubishi models.
Production of the Pajero ended worldwide in 2021, with MMPC quietly dropping the SUV from its lineup in June that year after 40 years. No official successor has been named, as of press time.
Adventure
With the likes of the Isuzu Hi-Lander and the Toyota Tamaraw FX (and later, the Revo), making huge headway in the Philippines, MMPC pushed to get its own slice of the “Asian Utility Vehicle” (AUV) pie.
And so came the Adventure, available with seven or more seats and propelled by either the 4D56 diesel motor or the equally venerable 2.0-liter 4G63 inline-4 gasoline engine. It was also among the first AUVs to be available with an automatic transmission, adding further convenience to the long drives that many Adventures faced.
Sales officially ended in the Philippines in 2017 with the fleet-specification Adventure GX with its side-opening rear door.
Grandis
While the Adventure was hauling people and cargo with its hardy ladder-frame chassis, the unibody Mitsubishi Grandis offered a significantly more refined way to move seven passengers.
Behind its swoopy styling was a voluminous cabin riding on a space-efficient, front-wheel-drive platform. The Grandis was powered by a 2.4-liter inline-4 gasoline engine producing 161 horsepower and 219 Newton-meters of torque, mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox.
This multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) was discontinued globally in 2011.
Fuzion
Built to take on the Toyota Innova, the Mitsubishi Fuzion debuted locally in 2007.
This seven-seat MPV was designed in conjunction with the Taipei-based China Motor Corporation (where it was known as the CMC/Mitsubishi Zinger). The Fuzion was built on a rear-wheel-drive platform and was available locally with an updated version of the 4G63 gasoline engine.
Although sales in the Philippines stopped in 2016, the Zinger is still in production in Taiwan as the CMC Z7.
Montero Sport
For Filipino families who couldn’t quite afford a Pajero, there was the Mitsubishi Montero Sport.
Debuting locally in October 2008, the first-generation Montero Sport was available with a heavily updated version of the 4D56 turbodiesel or the 3.2-liter 4M41 turbodiesel from the Pajero (a select few even came with a V6 gasoline engine).
Following the huge success of the previous model, the second-generation Montero Sport officially launched in the Philippines in 2019. It now packs a bigger and more efficient punch, courtesy of its 2.4-liter 4N15 turbodiesel producing 179 horsepower and 430 Newton-meters of torque.
Xpander/Xpander Cross
In 2018, MMPC released an all-new model that would eventually become the best-selling vehicle in its class.
The Xpander seven-seat MPV rides on a bespoke front-wheel-drive platform that is powered by a 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine producing 103 horsepower and 145 Newton-meters of torque, mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.
This was followed two years later by the tougher Xpander Cross, which offers more ground clearance and rough-road capability, thanks to suspension components borrowed from the Montero Sport.
Concept 7-Seater
And so we arrive at the star of MMPC’s display at PIMS 2024.
The little information that is available about this concept seven-seater shows styling cues from the well-received Xforce crossover (which also uses the Xpander’s underpinnings and drivetrain).
Does this new model preview a lengthened variant of the Xforce, a modern take on the Pajero or perhaps the next-generation Montero Sport? Whatever the answer may be, this new seven-seat has big shoes to fill if it wants to reach the heights of its predecessors.
